''Philotimo'' (also spelled ''filotimo''; el, φιλότιμο) is a Greek noun that has the literal

translation Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

of "

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

of honor". However, ''philotimo'' is claimed to be impossible to translate sufficiently as it describes a complex array of

virtue Virtue ( la, virtus) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards ...

Ancient uses

The word is used in early writings, sometimes in a bad sense;

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

's '' Republic'' uses ''philotimon'' (φιλότιμον) ironically: "covetous of honor"; other writers use ''philotimeomai'' (φιλοτιμέομαι) in the sense of "lavish upon". However, later uses develop the word in its more noble senses. By the beginning of the Christian era, the word was firmly a positive and its use in the Bible probably cemented its use in modern Greek culture. The word ''philotimon'' is used extensively in

Hellenistic period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

literature.

Biblical uses

The word appears three times in the text of

letters Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...

written by the Apostle Paul. Paul was a fluent Greek speaker and, by his writing, shows he was well educated in

Hellene The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...

literature. His letters were originally written in Greek and therefore the choice of the word was deliberate and the sophisticated choice of an educated man. It is a difficult word to translate into English and is rendered variously depending on the

Bible translation The Bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. all of the Bible has been translated into 724 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,617 languages, and ...

. Valid alternatives include; ''ambition'', ''endeavour earnestly'', ''aspire'', ''being zealous'', ''strive eagerly'', ''desire very strongly'' or ''study''. In each case Paul is conveying a desire to do a good thing and his choice of word gives this honourable pursuit extra emphasis. In

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

br>15:20
he makes it his ''philotimo'' (he uses the verb ''φιλοτιμέομαι'', 'philotiméome''to preach the good news of the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

to people who have not heard it. In 2nd Corinthiansbr>5:9
he uses it to describe his "labour" in the sense of his life's work and strivings. In 1st Thessaloniansbr>4:11
he uses it to describe the sort of ambition believers should have to conduct their lives with ''philotimo'': - a life above reproach, well regarded by their community for their kindness.

Modern uses

''Philotimo'' is still used today. In its simplest form, the term means conscientiously honoring one's responsibilities and duties, and not allowing one's honor, dignity, and pride to be sullied.

References

External links

Philotimo - The White House
*
BBC - The Greek word that can't be translated
{{Plato navbox Greek culture Greek words and phrases Virtue Concepts in ancient Greek ethics

Ancient uses

Biblical uses

Modern uses

See also

References

External links